Italian Sausage Baked Ziti
This baked ziti recipe is loaded with sausage and cheesy deliciousness, is freezer-friendly, and a great family dinner idea!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 803kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried ziti pasta see chef tips #2
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage hot or mild/sweet
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 32 oz marinara sauce I like to use Rao's brand
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese divided
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13" baking dish. Set baking dish aside.
Boil pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil ziti about a minute less than the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside (stirring occasionally to prevent it sticking together).
Cook sausage
- Heat a large deep skillet over MED HIGH heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and sausage and cook, crumbling as it browns, for about 5-6 minutes, until cooked through. Drain.
- Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet, then add garlic and stir well.
Add sauce and simmer
- Pour in marinara sauce and add the red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a simmer.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, until heated through and slightly thickened.
Combine
- Remove skillet from the heat, then stir in the cooked pasta.
Bake
- Transfer half of the ziti mixture to the prepared baking dish, then top with half of the mozzarella and romano cheeses.
- Top with the remaining ziti mixture, and remaining mozzarella and romano cheeses.
- Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Cool and serve
- Remove from oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley and serve!
Notes
- I've estimated this recipe serves 6, but you're free to divide the baking dish up into as many servings as you'd like.
- Other short-cuts of pasta can be substituted for the ziti. Penne, rigatoni, faraflle, campanelle, etc are great options.
- Pre-shredded mozzarella works just fine for this recipe, but I do recommend using a wedge of Pecorino Romano and shredding/grating it yourself.
Nutrition
Calories: 803kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1728mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1117IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 426mg | Iron: 4mg
